Wiltshire/Hampshire/Dorset/Somerset/Gloucestershire help!

[tapandteacake]

Hi everyone, would love some inspiration or suggestions for our relocation. I'm finding looking across multiple counties so difficult and am spending way too long on google maps.

We are looking to move out of an expensive part of Surrey, hoping to significantly "downspend" as the current monthly mortgage payment has just become too expensive, but not downsize. We will have a budget of £800,000 and will need a 4 bedroom detached house. We are looking for a rural village vibe, ideally I dream of being able to go for a lovely walk in fields or woods without having to get in the car. I love a good farmland vista.

DH can mostly work from home although may need to commute to London (by train) or Bristol (could drive there) once a week. I work from home. We had narrowed it down to areas around Pewsey in Wiltshire and that would be an ok drive back to Surrey and an ok drive to Gloucester where our parents are. However I'm not sure we can get a 4 bed house for £800,000 there. We also really don't want to do any building work as we did our current place up and absolutely swore never to put ourselves through it again.

We have a 1 year old and are hoping for more children so need to bear in mind good state schools too.

Would love to hear any suggestions of locations I should check out.

Thank you!!

Have you considered Corsham / Chippenham? Great links to the motorway - you could easily get a 4bed in that budget

I have, but again little on the market. I haven’t been there and have read mixed view on Corsham on here.

Fair! I live there and it's lovely place to bring up children
But I'm one of many and I'm sure there's things which can be improved

I'm wondering what it is that you need that you're struggling to find a 4bed with an 800k budget
It should be easy with such a large area

Hope you find something that works for you and your family :)

Salisbury, Ringwood
Malmesbury, Sherston up to Tetbury
Bratton, Westbury( connects with London line at Bath) Also down towards Southampton.
I live in a Wiltshire town with a " rough reputation, I haven't found it rough at all.
You could also look at Bradford on Avon
Corsham area( M4 junction at Chippenham)

Hi all, thank you very much for all your messages so far. This thread has been so useful. After our few days in Wiltshire we have decided to redirect our search to Hampshire, West Sussex and the southern most parts of Surrey. For various reasons, but mainly the driving time between each town/village being so long in Wiltshire - I've totally taken on board what lots of you have said about being isolated with small children and you were all right! We feel like Hampshire/West Sussex/southern Surrey have more towns and villages a bit closer together so it should be a bit less isolating. I'd love any tips or location suggestions for these areas please. I'm also looking back through all posts and going to check out all the suggestions already made. We have always really liked Winchester so would be very happy for that to be our main shopping town. Equally really like Petersfield, Midhurst, Bishops Waltham. Thank you again for your help!

Very late to this thread I know.. I moved from Surrey to Dorset (30 mins from Salisbury) and I knew Aldershot very well. You are right it was very very rough. I am not sure what it is like now though as I understood it had been developed and I thought that some of the army had moved out of Aldershot.

So, judging by your experience I can totally relate to not wanting to be near an army base but honestly Salisbury is LOVELY. We live in a teeny rural village about 30 mins away and actually right below an army camp. It is quite strange because it is a chocolate box village, all houses are thatched cottages, it has a lovely ford with ancient bridge and miles and miles of walking rural land. The army do exercises and you will often see guys in fatigues running off into the countryside with big back packs, there is a strong Gurkha presence here and lots of the lads run and train around the village but never cause any issues, they're all very quiet and respectful. A million miles away from my memories of Aldershot! So in other words don't discount Dorset because of the army presence. I am about 6 mins from Blandford Forum for reference. And about 20 mins from Wimborne which is another really nice town with good schools.

You could look round the Fordingbridge area - Alderholt etc. in Hampshire (still in catchment for the Salisbury Grammars!) or the nearby area around Ringwood, which I believe has a good Comprehensive and 6th Form.

Probably the other side of Hampshire to where you were thinking but have you thought about the New Forest?

https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/156292316?utm_campaign=property-details&utm_content=buying&utm_medium=sharing&utm_source=copytoclipboard#/&channel=RES_BUY

Trouble is, if you have this,

Hampshire/West Sussex/southern Surrey have more towns and villages a bit closer together so it should be a bit less isolating.

you’re much less likely to have this

We are looking for a rural village vibe, ideally I dream of being able to go for a lovely walk in fields or woods without having to get in the car. I love a good farmland vista.

If you want the latter, and don’t want to go too far West, or be too much ‘middle of nowhere’, SW Hampshire is probably a good bet, as you have the countryside, with the coast and New Forest nearby but you’re also within striking distance of the direct train links to London/Surrey/Bristol, and further afield, from Southampton. Good road links, also.

How about something like this OP in village between Winchester and Eastleigh

www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/155488115#/?channel=RES_BUY

Otterbourne - Winchester. There are 2 on there right now which are in your price range.

Has everything you need . Village is great.

@cravingmilkshake yes I was going to post those too - I don't see the issue- there is lots at that budget in that area

@Crikeyalmighty one of them is mine haha so was reluctant to post , but it's a great area to live in. We need bigger !

Otterbourne has such a great bus line to Winchester and Southampton and easy access to the motor way. It's great !

Colden common is also lovely ! X

You’re spoilt for choice in Hampshire. Petersfield, Romsey, Alresford, Alton, Liphook, outskirts of Winchester all lovely places. Decent connections and schools.
If you go somewhere like Selbourne, Bentley or Chawton you can walk straight out onto the fields.

@cravingmilkshake I like your style!' Actually I thought the houses there were lovely too !! I would think perfect for OP but wonder if she's been looking over in westwilts because it's significantly cheaper - it's all well and good saying your budget is £800k but it's tempting if you can find somewhere lovely and suitable for £550k - the thing is as OP said one downside is poor train connection unless you are nearer to Swindon or come over to where we are in Bath or villages on edge of Chippenham and yes places are spread about

Hampshire based here.

Winchester and its immediate surroundings hugely overpriced in my view.

Have a look at

Bishops Waltham
Romsey (I’d live here if I could)
Arlesford
Petersfield area
Chandlers Ford
Hursley

@jazzcat25 all nice too !! Lots of choice in that area

I did like living in Romsey. It was just a bit far for work.

Yes we would definitely consider the new forest. Do you think we could get something for our budget there? We would love to be within a short walk of Brockenhurst or Milford on Sea or somewhere like that.

You'd probably struggle in Brockenhurst itself - 4 beds there are generally 900k and up although there are a few on Rightmove for upper 800s. Wider New Forest though definitely (e.g. the one I posted is in Sway which is 5 minutes from Brockenhurst on the train)

Thank you everyone for your help so far. We've been to see some houses in the New Forest and just wondered if anyone knows about the 170 new homes proposed development site in Milford on Sea, opposite the school. What's the general feeling about it in the village? Has the school got any plans to expand? I'm wondering if it will get very oversubscribed with all the new residents.

Whiteparish is a nice village.

Downton might be worth a look. Nice little town south of Salisbury.